Should Alabama Basketball Pursue Rylan Griffen in Transfer Portal? Just a Minute

Watch the above video as BamaCentral staff writer Hunter De Siver discusses the possibility of Alabama basketball reuniting with former Crimson Tide and Kansas guard Rylan Griffen.

Alabama men's basketball's 2023-24 season ended in the NCAA Tournament Final Four with a loss to UConn. However, this was perhaps the best season in Crimson Tide hoops history as it was the first time that the program made the Final Four.

Then-sophomore guard Rylan Griffen played an integral role in Alabama's historic run as he averaged 11.2 points on 45.4 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from deep in 26.3 minutes per game that season. However, despite being a starter for a team on a meteoric rise, Griffen decided to enter the transfer portal after the season and ended up choosing the University of Kansas.

The Jayhawks were the No. 1 team in the Preseason AP Poll, but finished the year 21-13 (11-9 Big 12) and lost in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 to 10-seed Arkansas as a 7-seed.

Griffen transferred to a Blue Blood program with hopes of standing out among elite recruits and other players from the portal. However, like the rest of the team, he struggled a bit as he averaged 6.3 points on 37.2 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from behind the arc in 20.2 minutes per game this season. Griffen entered the transfer portal on Monday as he aims for a fresh start.

So, should Alabama pursue Griffen and reunite him with head coach Nate Oats, assistant Preston Murphy and the rest of the Crimson Tide?

Well, of the four players out of eligibility for the 2025-26 season, two of them are guards: Mark Sears and Chris Youngblood. The Crimson Tide also lost forward/guard Naas Cunningham to the portal on Monday.

Alabama's lone addition from the transfer portal thus far is center Noah Williamson, but like the rest of college basketball, chances are the Tide will grab a couple more players across multiple positions over the next couple of weeks.

Of course, this will depend on what some of Alabama's current players decide to do for 2025-26. Here's a full list to go along with their respective position.

• Amari Allen, forward (incoming freshman)
• Mouhamed Dioubate, forward
• Davion Hannah, guard (incoming freshman)
• Aden Holloway, guard
• London Jemison, forward (incoming freshman)
• Houston Mallette, guard
• Labaron Philon, guard (chance of NBA Draft declaration)
• Derrion Reid, forward
• Aiden Sherrell, forward
• Jarin Stevenson, forward
• Noah Williamson, center
• Latrell Wrightsell Jr., guard

There are five guards on the list above. There were four on the team last season when excluding Wrightsell, who ruptured his Achilles after eight games, and Mallette, who only played in six contests due to knee injuries.

Should Wrightsell and Mallette officially return to next year's team, along with the other guards, is there enough room for Griffen? Of course, the changes in the frontcourt will also matter.

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